Cisco NX-OS 10.3 End of Support: February 28, 2027
Cisco NX-OS 10.3 reaches End of Vulnerability/Security Support on February 28, 2027, the same day as its Last Date of Support. Cisco's NX-OS release guide says that beyond this milestone no support is provided for the major release. On the same day NX-OS 10.5 reaches End of Software Maintenance and from then receives only PSIRT fixes, so 10.5 is not a release to land on for long. Cisco adds one exception: 10.3 is extended for EX platforms until those platforms' own Last Date of Support.
NX-OS 10.x lifecycle dates
| Release | End of Software Maintenance | End of Vulnerability/Security Support and Last Date of Support |
|---|---|---|
| NX-OS 10.6(x) | February 29, 2028 | February 28, 2030 |
| NX-OS 10.5(x) | February 28, 2027 | February 28, 2029 |
| NX-OS 10.4(x) | February 28, 2026 | February 29, 2028 |
| NX-OS 10.3(x) | November 30, 2024 | February 28, 2027 (EX platforms: to their own Last Date of Support) |
Older releases (10.2, 10.1, 9.3 and earlier) are past their dates; every NX-OS release is on the Cisco NX-OS page.
How long an NX-OS release is supported
Cisco no longer splits NX-OS into long-lived and short-lived releases; every major release follows the same schedule, counted from first customer shipment (FCS):
- 12 months after FCS: the release enters the maintenance phase, which lasts 18 months.
- 30 months after FCS: End of Software Maintenance. The release enters extended support and receives only PSIRT fixes; defect fixes need an upgrade to a later major release.
- 54 months after FCS: End of Vulnerability/Security Support, aligned with the Last Date of Support. No support beyond it.
What to do
- Find the release on each switch:
show versionprints the NX-OS release. - On 10.3: plan the upgrade before February 28, 2027, unless the switch is an EX platform covered by Cisco's extension.
- Pick the target with the dates in view: 10.6 has full software maintenance until February 29, 2028; 10.5 drops to security fixes only on February 28, 2027. Confirm the target release supports your hardware in Cisco's release notes.
- On 10.4: it already receives security fixes only, until February 29, 2028.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Cisco NX-OS 10.3 reach end of life?
Cisco gives NX-OS 10.3(x) an End of Vulnerability/Security Support date of February 28, 2027, which Cisco aligns with the Last Date of Support; beyond it Cisco provides no support for the release. Cisco's footnote extends 10.3 on EX platforms until those platforms' own Last Date of Support.
What happens to NX-OS 10.5 on February 28, 2027?
NX-OS 10.5(x) reaches End of Software Maintenance on February 28, 2027 and enters Cisco's extended support phase, in which it receives only PSIRT (security) fixes until its End of Vulnerability/Security Support on February 28, 2029. Defect fixes require an upgrade to a later major release.
Which NX-OS release should I upgrade 10.3 to?
On Cisco's schedule, NX-OS 10.6(x) receives full software maintenance until February 29, 2028 and security fixes until February 28, 2030; 10.5(x) receives security fixes only after February 28, 2027. Check the release supports your hardware in Cisco's release notes before upgrading.
Related
- Cisco NX-OS — every release and its status
- Cisco IOS XE — Cisco's routing and Catalyst software lines
- Cisco Catalyst switches — hardware end-of-life dates